What Once Was is Now Again
by DevinBourdain
Summary: Crane takes action against his nemesis in the wake of attacks against his friends and crew in the hopes of finding some clue to the identity of his tormentor. Series part 4 of 5. Warnings: see profile for series content.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea characters are not mine, just borrowed for this story.

Reviews are always welcome.

What Once Was is Now Again

The prognosis wasn't the greatest news, but at least the Admiral was alive; Jamieson had come out personally to give Lee the details regarding the emergency surgery. The last few months had been a rollercoaster of emotions; first he had been tasked with the difficult decision of choosing between Nelson and Chip, and in the end failing to save Morton from certain death. At least fortune had finally smiled on them a little, now that it seemed Chip's death had been another ruse to torment the Captain.

Instead of death Chip had been held captive, but had somehow managed to send a message to Lee to let him know he was alive. The sheer joy of the possibility of getting Morton back had lifted Crane's depressed mood; on the back of that positive news, a clue as to the possible whereabouts of their antagonising foe had been unearthed. However the positive note had been short lived as a mission into enemy territory with a replacement executive officer had discovered that their foe had relocated. The flame of hope that Chip was still alive was starting to diminish.

The Captain had gone from depressed, to recklessly obsessed, to hopeless and now, with the latest turn of events, to uncontrollable anger. The wife of one of their own had betrayed them; Michelle O'Brien had shot Nelson and left him fighting for his life.

At a time when he desperately needed someone, Crane found himself completely alone. Based on the information Davenport had obtained from an interesting source, Crane now had a lead on a man who could shed some light on the whole mystery: who was doing this to him. Lola had reported that the man was ill, so the doctors would only allow the Captain to attempt to question him at the end of the week.

Fuelled by his growing anger, Lee decided he would not wait; rules, procedure and politics be damned - he was taking action. This aggression could no longer go unanswered; it _would_ _not_ go unanswered.

Crane booked a commercial flight to New York. Sure FS1 would have been faster; but that would raise questions and be highly traceable; a commercial flight would probably be the last thing anyone would check. It also didn't require anyone at the Institute to be informed about it, thus keeping them from facing disciplinary actions or tipping off anyone else that might be working work Alexi.

He took a taxi from the airport to the retirement home in which Kozlov resided. Having made a few phone calls and telling a few lies, Lee managed to learn the name and address of the home. The doctors had been concerned for the man's health which is why they had postponed Crane's visit until the end of the week. Lee decided he would claim to be the man's nephew, knowing that family would be allowed to visit despite his condition.

The women at the front desk gave Lee a warm smile as he approached the counter.

"How can I help you?"

"I'm here to visit my uncle. Kozlov, K-o-z-l-o"

"Vadim Kozlov of course."

"Yes Uncle Vadim. Which room is he in?"

"Room 9B. You're in luck, they just returned from an outing to the park. I'll take you there."

The bubbly receptionist led Crane down a series of halls making googly eyes the whole way. Lee just smiled when ever she looked at him. He had more important things to do than be sociable today, but he had to be friendly to avoid raising suspicions. When they arrived she knocked lightly on the door twice, then opened it.

"Mr. Kozlov, your nephew is here to visit you" she called as Lee stepped inside.

The man in the wheelchair looked up at the Captain then nodded his head "thank-you Kelly."

The receptionist smiled one last time and closed the door to offer the family some private time to visit.

Vadim spoke English very well and with only a minimal hint of a Russian accent. He eyed Crane up for a moment before he spoke, just as Lee sized up the room's other occupant too. For someone who was supposed to be at death's door, he was remarkably well.

"You're a little young to be _my_ nephew; not to mention I had no brothers or sisters."

"You're looking very well for someone dying" indeed the man sitting in the wheelchair looked like the picture of health for an elderly gentleman. He had peppered grey hair and dark eyes and sat there with an air of confidence and calmness; there was something vaguely familiar about this man but the Captain couldn't place what.

"I'm dying, just not today. To what do I owe the pleasure Mr. . .?"

"Crane; Captain Lee Crane." Lee was watching to see if the name held any meaning for Kozlov; if it did, the man certainly didn't let it show.

"Ah; well Captain, what brings you here?"

Suspicious Lee asked "my name doesn't ring some kind of bell for you?"

"Should it?"

"Your son seems to have a very personal interest in me."

"Captain, I'm old and have no desire, not to mention lack of time, to play games. I've given your government all the information I ever had and wish to live out my remaining days in peace. I may not agree with my children following in their mother's footsteps, but I'm not going to start selling them out to appease your government." Crane's confusion was written all over his face. Kozlov realised why "you're not here in regards to my seeking asylum are you?"

"No. I have reason to believe one or both of your sons are targeting me and my people for reasons I have yet to determine. The man responsible was conducting research at your family's manor. ONI confirmed that you, your wife and two sons held residence there. Would anyone else be using the property?"

"No. My wife owned the place. It was part of her deal with some of the future pillars of the People's Republic. When she died my children took possession."

"Your wife?"

Vadim smiled. Here was another young officer who thought he knew his life story. "My wife was the spy Captain, Elizabeth Logan, secret agent extraordinaire; I was merely along for the ride. I suppose that's what made her so good; she had everyone convinced it was me. I learned a thing or two from her, and when I saw an opportunity I sought refuge with your government in exchange for everything I had learned . . . and my wife."

"You turned over your own wife?"

"We had a lover's spat. She thought I should die for her and I didn't think I should have to do it for her general amusement."

If circumstances were different Lee thought he might have actually liked the guy. The two were so caught up in conversation that Crane didn't notice the dark shadow peering in through the small window in the room door.

The doctor looked in and saw the Captain conversing with his patient and immediately went to his office to place a phone call. "It's me," said the doctor when someone answered the phone "Crane's here."

"I thought you took care of that?" asked the voice on the other end of the line.

"I did; I said he couldn't come till the end of the week, that way we could have Vadim drugged out of his mind and be unable to tell him anything."

"Then why is he there now?"

"The receptionist told me his nephew had come to visit; he didn't tell her he was with the navy. What do you want me to do now?"

"If he tries to leave, keep him there. I'll send someone to clean up your mess."

The doctor was left with a dial tone. The people that wanted Vadim kept quiet were not the type of people the doctor wanted to anger. He left his office and took up camp just outside of room 9B. He hoped that backup would arrive soon and he wouldn't have to try and figure out a way to keep the Captain there himself.


	2. Chapter 2

The Captain sat and listened to the abridged version of Kozlov's life. Admittedly he had come to the retirement home with a complete hatred for the man deep in his heart; but after listening to a tale of heartache and loss, Lee's hatred was diminishing. His desire to crush Alexi still coursed through his veins, but it was becoming clear that Vadim was just another victim of Alexi's ambition and not a co-conspirator.

"Back to the reason for your visit Crane; you were about to tell me what Nikolai has done now. I'll be honest with you; I have no idea where my sons are and if I did, I wouldn't tell. No matter what, I am still their father."

"How do you know which son would be the one targeting me?" asked Lee, after noticing Kozlov didn't even hesitate at which name to give him.

"It's quite simple; Luka is in prison; has been for the last four years and has not been released, nor has he escaped. That only leaves Nikolai to be implementing any sort of plan. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say you've done something to Luka that Nikolai feels must be avenged; they were always very close. Nikolai is the one with the brains, but Luka is the adventurous one; the one with the grandiose plans and schemes. Luka takes the risks and when he falls, Nikolai is there to pick him up and dust him off; he always looked out for his little brother."

"Would Nikolai use the alias Alexi?"

A small smile crept across Vadim's worn face; memories of a happy family, free of political agenda filled his thoughts.

"She always wanted to name him that; I'm not surprised that's the name he would use. They were always closer to their mother; perhaps that's why they chose her line of work."

The pieces were slowly coming to together; Crane was so close he could taste it.

"Do you know Luka's alias? And does he have a daughter?"

The old man shook his head from side to side "I have no idea what aliases he would use and as for a daughter . . . let's just say we don't exactly get together as a family for Christmas or birthdays."

Lee reached into his pocket and pulled out a photograph; he looked at it briefly, wondering if he should continue his interrogation of the man before him. He could see the sadness the loomed behind the old man's eyes when speaking of the family he so clearly lost to a world of subterfuge and politics. Crane passed the mug shot of Michelle over to Kozlov.

"She looks just like her mother," sighed Vadim. "Luka was in love with a girl once; she died in a car accident many, many years ago. I had no idea she was pregnant."

Before either man could say anything else a doctor entered the room. "Ah, Mr. Kozlov, it's time for your medication. You'll have to ask your guest to come back later; visiting hours are over for the afternoon," said the doctor as he handed Vadim a little plastic cup filled with pills.

"My nephew has travelled a long way, maybe we could make an exception?" asked Kozlov. The retirement home medical staff was blissfully unaware of the old man's past and the circumstances of his life that had brought him to this place. Visiting relatives was often the cover used by various agents who came to obtain information from him and based on the conditions of his asylum, he cooperated to the best of his ability.

"Your nephew? Well I'm sure if he had a long trip he wouldn't mind getting some dinner, then coming back tonight. Besides, I need to have a word with one of your relatives," said the doctor as he grabbed Lee by the elbow and guided him to the door.

The Captain ran several scenarios through his head as he was led out of the room and down the hall; someone at the facility had lied about Vadim's status and wanted to keep Crane away for the time being. Everyone so far had believed his lie about being the man's nephew; continuing that lie would help Lee have access to the only person who seemed to have any sort of an answer. Lee tapped into his ONI training and decided he could play the role of a concerned nephew, but would keep a wary eye out for anything suspicious in this seemingly tranquil retirement medical facility.

The pair entered the main lobby and the doctor released his grip on Crane's arm. "I've been trying to contact Mr. Kozlov's family for the past several weeks but unfortunately I was unable to reach any of his contacts" explained the doctor as they walked towards the doors to the yard.

Lee stopped as the doctor opened the glass doors to the patio area; sensing the man's hesitation, the doctor looked back at Lee and offered an overly large smile "it's a shorter distance to my office if we cut through the court yard."

Crane offered an equally fake smile and followed the doctor into the court yard. They walked around the corner under the guise of concerned nephew and doctor until they were out of sight of anyone at the retirement home; immediately the doctor's tone changed "you're quite the problem Captain. Always sticking your nose where it doesn't belong; showing up where you're not welcome."

"Well I aim to please."

"I'm sure you do. There's someone who is very interested in meeting you in person" he smiled thinly as he added "I guess you don't want to do this the easy way and come quietly?"

"I'd hate to start disappointing people now."

Crane inconspicuously surveyed his surrounds; mentally planning escape routes, possible weapons, hiding places and ambush points. The presence of cold steel against his back a constant reminder of the weapon he had concealed before entering the building.

"I thought you'd pick the hard way; that's why I called for back up" informed the doctor as a petite women dressed in black leather slinked out from the bushed and stood off to the side.

"I hope you're as much fun as your blond friend was" Itami held out a pair of handcuffs and started to move towards the Captain.

A million horrible thoughts ran through Lee's head as he contemplated the meaning of that sentence, and his anger began to spike. He had been brought up to respect and never hit a woman, but in this case she was going to go down...and hard.

The moment she grabbed his arm to snap the handcuffs in place, Lee twisted his body and slammed the opposite elbow into Itami's nose. Stunned she staggered back a few steps before shaking her head to bring the world back into focus; a small stream of blood ran down her face. Crane moved closer to deliver a right hook, but the woman slammed her foot into his side. The Captain hunched over trying to alleviate some of the pain that was emanating from the blow and Itami tripped to the side; having caught the graze of his punch.

The moment the Captain started to show any resistance to the hired muscle's advance, the doctor did the only thing his courage would allow; he hid in the nearest bushes waiting for the outcome of the fight. Their current location prevented any outside help from viewing the battle taking place, and Lee's only option was to triumph on his own or meet the dire fate his nemesis had planned for him.

Crane attacked and blocked with everything he had. His opponent was good; she had many styles and moves to her credit and was just as determined as he was. He was able to push Itami off of him, reach for his weapon and had just managed to pull it from his waistband when she lunged into his chest. They both fell in a heap on the ground with a bone jarring thud. The gun fell from Lee's hand and tumbled across the grass out of reach. The gleaming steel caught Itami's eye and she slammed the palm of her hand against Cranes head causing his head to bounce off the ground; taking advantage of his momentary daze, Itami crawled towards the dissuaded gun.

Lee grabbed the woman by the waist and pulled her away from the weapon. They both began hitting, punching and clawing one another for all they were worth; each trying to reach the weapon first. Whoever got hold of the gun and took aim was going to be the victor of this meeting, and Crane could not let it be her. They both reached out and brushed the handle with out-stretched fingers.

The jabs and holds continued until they both managed to lay a hand on the gun. Both pulled it towards them; neither wanting to release their death grip on the cold steel. The gun ended up between them and a vicious game of tug-a-war began; Crane could see her finger start to wrap around the trigger. With all the strength he had, he pushed against her hand as her finger closed on the trigger; the ensuing bang signalled the end of their fight. With his dying strength, Lee pushed the lifeless body off him; Itami flopped off and landed unceremoniously in the red tinged green grass.

Lee laid there for a moment just staring at the sky; he was breathing hard from his struggle and needed a moment. A moment? He felt like he needed a year and not just to recoup from his struggle with Itami, but from everything that had happened over the last few months; it seemed to be a never ending shit storm of heart ache and trouble. His introspective minute was brought to an abrupt halt by the ravings of the doctor, who had crawled out of his hiding spot when he heard the gun shot.

To the doctor's dismay the fight hadn't turned out the way he would have liked. Alexi's prized little assassin was lying dead in the grass, and the target was still drawing breath. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?" the doctor shouted in horror.

Crane hauled himself into a sitting position, despite his aching muscles' protest; his hand rested lightly on the gun that had fallen by his side. Rolling his eyes he turned to the distraught man. "Tell me; what have I done doctor?"

"You killed her, you killed Itami. Alexi's gonna kill you for that. He's gonna kill us _all _for that!"

"It's my understanding that he was going to kill me anyways."

"But not in the way he's gonna do it now."

Crane sighed and pushed himself to his feet. "He can only kill me once. Now move." He punctuated his statement by pointing the gun back towards the main building of the retirement home.

"You hope he can only kill you once. He's gonna . . ." The doctor's rant was cut off by the sound of sirens approaching the building. "I hope you got everything you wanted out of the old man Crane, cause you aren't getting anything more out of him now!"

Sure enough, as Lee escorted his prisoner inside, the main lobby was filled with paramedics who were removing a body and police who were taking statements from the staff. After talking with local law-enforcement, the doctor was arrested and Crane was informed that his greatest lead was murdered.

The Captain had interrogated the doctor for three hours at the police station and was no closer to the answers he was after. Frustrated and angry he placed a call to his friend at ONI, Jason Nix, to see if they had turned up anything new. Forgoing any pleasantries, Lee demanded an update.

"I think I might have some good news for you this time Lee," offered Nix, "we managed to reconstruct that finger print from the wine bottle you found and came up with twelve possible matches. Based on the other information you managed to obtain we believe it belonged to Vadim K . . ."

Crane interjected, "Kozlov, I already talked to him."

"And?"

"He's dead. I believe Kozlov's kids are behind this; Nikolai and Luka Kozlov - Nikolai is using the alias Alexi, and Luka is in prison. If we can figure out who Luka is, then I might be able to explain why his brother has made it his personal mission to ruin my life and the life of everyone I've ever met."

"I'll get right on it Lee."

The brief conversation with Kozlov ran over in Lee's head in a constant loop; he'd been so close to figuring out who these people were, but he still lacked a positive identity. There had to be something in what Vadim had said that would help.

After talking with Jason, Crane had decided to go to LA to try and get Michelle to spill her guts. The plane ride back to the west coast allowed him to try and pull out important bits of information from the continuous loop that ran through his mind.

Alexi believed that Lee had put his brother in prison, but Michelle believed that Nelson had been responsible. Who's plan had they foiled that resulted in a prison sentence for someone four or five years ago? Past missions flashed before his eyes as he made a list of suspects. The list was quite impressive; enemy agents, rogue scientists, henchmen, dictators, ghosts and evil creatures. The list was narrowed down to only living humans who weren't killed during the foiling of their evil plots, but it didn't narrow the list down enough.


	3. Chapter 3

Upon Crane's arrival in Los Angeles he immediately went to the maximum security facility that Michelle O'Brien was being held at. One of the guards led him into an interrogation room where she was already waiting; neither spoke until the guard left the cold concrete room.

"Prison orange suits you" Crane began conversationally; he planned on staying calm and in charge through his questioning. He was relying on his command skills to keep him in charge of the situation.

"And somehow my smile is still plastered on my face" was Michelle's sarcastic reply. Despite the situation, or maybe because of it, she projected a cold yet calm demeanour, like she hadn't a care in the world.

"Did you kill O'Brien?"

"I hacked him into little pieces and spread his remains across the west coast. Hey, as the grieving widow do you think I should be concerned that he was checking up on your little secretary friend so late. I mean, people are going to talk and my reputation will be ruined" she snapped as she placed her cuffed wrists on the steel table across from where Crane was sitting. She leaned back in her chair and glared at her enemy.

"I ran into your little friend, the one that dresses in black leather."

"At least I have friends; yours are dropping like flies. The ones that are left are going to start avoiding you like the plague." Her words dripped with glee.

"She's dead."

"Kind of like your Admiral" countered Michelle.

"You didn't kill him; he made it through surgery."

She shrugged "don't worry, someone will rectify my mistake soon enough."

"You have someone else working at NIMR?" asked the Captain.

A gleam came to her eye and an evil grin twisted her face "what if I told you Chip was in on it?"

"Commander Morton is _not_ working for you" Lee kept his calm tone. He wasn't going to rise to her bait and wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of letting her get under his skin.

"Who said he was working for me; maybe I work for him and he masterminded the whole thing?"

"And why would he do that?"

"Maybe he's tired of standing in your shadow? What is it they say; with friends like that who needs enemies? You should pick your friends better; it's not like you even know any of them."

"I know my friends just fine."

"Tell me five things about your little secretary friend that aren't in Ryan's personnel file? You can't do it. Which of your crewmen spends their Sundays volunteering at the local animal shelter? Who's cheating on their wife with their high school sweetheart? Do you really think Chip tells you all of his dirty little secrets? Is Lola _really_ doing all she can to get information for you; are you sure your friend Jason isn`t stonewalling the investigation at ONI; maybe Jamieson`s working on my side."

"You're not going to get me to start doubting my friends."

"Too late! You can't sit there and tell me that you didn't think for one second the plant wasn't Ryan, and when you believed it was her you didn't want to rip her apart. And if Nelson dies on that operating table or in recovery, than there isn't going to be that flicker of doubt about whether Jamieson really did all he could to save him."

He couldn't let her get to him. Deep down he knew the words weren't true, but there was still a flare of doubt. Michelle had inserted herself into their lives years ago; even married Lieutenant O'Brien and it was all to further the plan to get to them. It wouldn't be the first time a friend kept something from him or it turned out one of the crew wasn't really the person they claimed to be. But if he started suspecting everyone now, he really would go crazy.

"Face it Lee, you're alone. You're alone and you're falling apart; making mistakes that rookies wouldn't even make. Loose lips sink ships; you really should tell your men that. Oh they would never spill trade secrets; but it's the little things - what you had for dinner last night, the little disagreement between you and Morton, an irate Admiral, the date you had and where, all those things are gossiped about all the time. Casually mentioned between friends, and I was there to hear it all.

She was trying to control the conversation; to steer it towards self doubt. Crane knew he had to get things back to a topic that might unnerve Michelle.

"Who's your father?"

"Darth Vader."

"I met your grandfather yesterday."

"Well, I'm sure that was productive for you. What's it like to watch someone drool into a cup?"

"He was actually pretty together for someone who's supposed to be at death's door."

Michelle paused for a moment trying to figure out if the Captain was bluffing and to what extent "and what pearls of wisdom did the old goat bestow on you? That is assuming he was my grandfather."

"Oh, he's your grandfather alright; the family resemblance notwithstanding, the DNA test that I had done proves you two are related." Michelle unconsciously rubbed her arm where an officer had drawn blood that morning. Crane continued "they're running your DNA against every known database to see if they can find any other match: if your father's in the system then it's just a matter of time."

"Alexi's not my father if that's what you're hoping; you're not going to get him based on any DNA match of mine."

Lee could see some of her confidence was waning. "No, I don't believe he is. You told the Admiral, Alexi thought I was to blame for what happened to your father. No, I believe Alexi is Kozlov's other son."

The lack of a quick sarcastic response spoke volumes to Crane. True the dynamics of this family tree brought him no closer to finding out just how this involved him; but it was getting him closer to an identity. Now he needed something that would get Michelle to spill her secrets; some sort of bargaining chip to make her sell out the mastermind behind this and bring it to an end.

"The last operative we had in custody didn't last two hours; if you cooperate we can protect you from Alexi" offered Lee, not really believing she would go for it.

"Please, you can't keep your friends safe, what makes you think you're going to keep me safe? Besides, I'm not the one who should be afraid of Alexi."

Michelle refused to answer any more questions or engage in any kind of conversation. Lee knew that any more effort wasted on her would be efforts better spent somewhere else. It could only be a matter of time now anyways before he learned the identity of the people involved.

A police officer entered the interrogation room and walked over to the Captain. "Excuse me sir, but there's a very important phone call for you."

Lee stood up to follow the officer out of the room when Michelle called out to him "another friend bites the dust!"

The officer directed Lee to the phone and left to give him some privacy.

"This is Crane," the Captain said into the receiver.

Lee felt his heart race as Jamie explained why he was calling. The Captain had called Jamieson and let him know where he was at all times in case an emergency occurred with the Admiral. He had not been prepared for the call from the doctor that would forever change his world; knowing immediately he had to get back to Santa Barbara.


	4. Chapter 4

Lee stormed through the Med-bay door; it seemed he was spending an enormous amount of time here lately, and it wasn't due to personal injury. He'd received the call just before he boarded the plane back from Los Angeles and his whole world had change.

Things had been extremely difficult lately. First Alexi had forced him to choose between two of his friends, resulting in the explosion at Base 21 and the death of Chip Morton; next was the hope that Chip was still alive. Crane had been so sure the coded message came from his departed friend but when he followed their only lead, he found the mansion abandoned and Morton's dog tags left with a note. The Admiral had warned him against embracing the false hope, but the need for Chip to be alive was too great to believe otherwise; now there was only uncertainty as to whether the former exec was alive, or had at least been alive for a while.

Everyone else had suffered as well; Tech Archer had been killed, Riley was stabbed, Will and Ryan attacked and O'Brien was missing. The most recent blow was Michelle O'Brien's betrayal when she shot Nelson. In fact if it hadn't been for _Seaview's _new Executive Officer, Davenport, she would have shot him and finished off the Admiral. As it was Nelson was only hanging on by a thread when Jamieson rushed him into surgery.

The older man had made it through surgery but was still in intensive care, or had been, when Lee had left for New York to speak with the man they believed was Alexi father. Crane looked around Med-bay franticly until his eyes locked on Jamieson, who appeared from a curtained off area near the back. He found he couldn't read the doctor's face and braced himself for the worst, while hoping that some good news was finally going to come their way.

Will could see the concern on his commander's face and raised his hands to stall the onslaught of questions that were going to come pouring out of the young man's mouth; the most important question still slipped out "well, how is he, Jamie?"

"He's got the most important clearance I can give him" said Jamie using his calm professional detachment to deliver the news.

"What's that?" Desperation flooded the words.

With great relief the doctor stated "he's alive."

Before Crane even had time to process what he had just been told, another voice grabbed his attention.

"Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated!" chuckled Chip as he stepped out of the curtained area still buttoning his fresh clean uniform shirt. "I've always wanted to say that."

"Can't let you out of my sight for a minute," added Lee as he walked over and gripped his friend in bear hug. He didn't want to let go for fear this was another dream and when he let go Chip would disappear again.

Morton began to pry his friend's hands free as he hissed, "ah, ribs Lee, ribs."

Crane released his friend and looked to the doctor; alive by no means signified alright. Chip was sporting several bruises and a cut across his cheek that looked like it was starting to heal, but that didn't mean there weren't serious injuries that weren't visible.

"O'Brien has been medically cleared for duty and I released him this morning, but suggested that he takes some time to work out things considering he was married to Michelle. For the most part Chip's injuries were tended to and are healed except for the bruised ribs and I recommend physical therapy to help work out what was a dislocated shoulder and broken finger. Both were repaired but seem to be rather stiff; with a little work they shouldn't give you any trouble Commander."

"How's the Admiral doing today?" asked Crane, hoping this streak of good luck would continue.

Jamie shook his head and cast his eyes downward "he still hasn't regained consciousness yet; he's stable but critical. I can't predict the outcome to this yet, but we should try to be optimistic."

"Can we see him?" asked Morton.

When he and O'Brien had arrived at the Institute Jamieson had filled them in on the most recent events involving Michelle and Nelson. Tyler O'Brien had been distraught before about his wife betraying them all, but the news that she tried to kill the Admiral and the Captain was a very bitter pill to swallow. The terrible news had troubled both officers who had imagined their homecoming to be very different.

With Jamie's consent the pair entered Nelson's room and pulled two chairs next to the bed. The room was filled with the steady beep and blips of the various monitors and the ventilator forcing the rise and fall of his chest. He was pale and, if not for the constant assurance of the heart monitor, he would have been the picture of death.

Both of the men quietly took in the scene; each sorting through their own thoughts. The room was silent for a long time while each man went through a range of emotions. What should have been the greatest moment in the last few months was overshadowed by the possibility that they could lose one of their own. Finally needing answers they spoke at the same time.

"What happened . . ."

They stopped when they realized they were talking over one another; Morton deferred to Crane through an unspoken language they shared, and Lee asked the question first "what happened after _Seaview_ left Base 21?

Morton took a deep breath. It was one thing to live through the last few months but he honestly hadn't thought about it; he actually did his very best to forget everything that had happened. Lee sensed Chip's moment of hesitation and waited patiently for his friend to sort through his thoughts before he tried to explain them.

Chip began to recount his tale of the last few months from the armed take-over of Base 21 and being told of the choice his friend had been forced to make, to his first meeting with Alexi. He could see the amount of stress that Lee had been under during his captivity, and in an effort to spare his friend more grief, Chip gave a very abridged version of his many encounters with Itami and her methods of persuasion. He explained how Dr. Shaw was Alexi's informant on the project, and how his ineptitude had allowed Morton to send a message to Crane. He recounted the new location Alexi had carted him off to, and O'Brien's joint experience as a distinguished guest of the madman's.

In turn Lee explained his desperate search for Chip after receiving the message and coming up empty. After taking a quick break to grab a small lunch and some coffee, at Jamie's insistence, Crane continued his report about working with the new exec and Michelle's ultimate betrayal. The Captain finished his tale with how he went to talk to Kozlov and Itami's final, fatal, fight.

The small glint in Chip's eye that appeared when he informed him of Itami's demise was not lost on Crane; with both parties more or less caught up, Lee had one more pressing question to ask, "How did you and O'Brien manage to escape?"


	5. Chapter 5

Fifteen Days Ago

"Well I guess we know why they didn't bother to follow us" stated Chip, "we're on an island."

"Are you done with the dramatics Charles? Or are you going to swim the couple of hundred miles to the mainland; 'cause if you are, I'm going to pull up a lawn chair and crack open a beer and Tyler and I can sit back and watch the sho," spat Alexi. "Come now Charles, cheer up. You're sitting in the lap of luxury; what more could you ask for?"

"For starters you could drop dead" snapped the exec.

The hit wasn't unforeseen. Morton picked himself up so he was kneeling in the sand; he placed his hand to the side of his face where he felt a trick of blood crawl down his cheek.

Alexi pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the blood off of the small knife he held. Satisfied it was clean; he pocketed both the knife and the handkerchief. He knelt on one knee in front of Chip. "You should be more appreciative of my hospitality Charles; most people would have killed you long ago and fed you to the fish."

"That just proves you need me for something; and if you need me, you're not going to kill me."

"Don't over estimate your worth" he leaned a little closer and dropped his voice so only the young man could hear his next words, "besides if I need _you_ then I don't need your friend over there." Satisfied he'd made his point, he raised his voice so O'Brien could hear him "now you gentlemen can either march over to the truck or I can save us all a lot of time, energy and trouble and just shoot you both right here" the last part was called over his shoulder as he walked back to his truck.

O'Brien stood there and waited for Chip's lead; the exec took a moment to run through their options one more time.

"Today gentlemen; don't make me late for breakfast."

Alexi's hired help forcefully escorted O'Brien and Morton to the waiting truck and threw them in the back. Alexi climbed into the cab of the truck while his men took position in the rear. The journey back to the compound was very disheartening for the prisoners who'd strongly believed that they would be free from this madman by now.

The swift and painful retribution that Chip had expected for their escape attempt did not come. If it wasn't for the enforced captivity, Alexi could almost have been considered a hospitable human being. With the exception of mandatory meals with their captor and company; O'Brien and Morton were left in their spacious room and to their own devices.

Alexi took every opportunity to boast about their lack of escape routes. First appearances would prove him right, but the exec wasn't willing to roll over and accept their fate just yet. If Alexi and his men could seem to come and go from the island, then there had to be a means of travel they could hijack for escape.

"What's the plan, sir?" asked Tyler O'Brien once they were returned to their room.

"Well I think we can safely rule out commandeering the helicopter. From what I've overheard from the assorted goons talking, it seems our esteemed host is the only pilot and I'm fairly certain he would really rather die then fly us out of here."

The lieutenant let out an exacerbated sigh. He hadn't been captive very long, nor had he experienced any of the abuse that the XO had borne, but he was quite through with being a prisoner already "what's our back up plan?"

"There has to be a boat somewhere; we just need to find where it docks and then try and figure out where the nearest point of civilization is. In the meantime we can't give them any reason to suspect we're going to try anything. If they're over-confident, they'll start making mistakes; it's then we'll find an opening we can exploit."

The plan seemed manageable, but O'Brien was finding it hard to get out of his depression. Just months ago he was saying 'I do' to what was supposed to be the love of his life; it had been a real fairytale. But instead of the happily ever after, married life had been filled with lies, betrayal and finally a little captivity thrown in for good measure.

Tyler always had a great deal of respect for his commanding officer; but after having experienced a very small taste of what Commander Morton's life had been like for the past few months, that respect was at a all time high.

* * *

"Why so glum?" asked Alexi as he pointed his fork at O'Brien "I know it's tough when you fight with the Mrs. and since I didn't get you crazy kids anything for your wedding, I'd be willing to spring for marriage counselling."

"I'll tell you where you can stick your marriage counselling" mumbled Tyler into his breakfast.

Alexi's smile widened as he watched the Lieutenant's shoulders slump a little more "I always believed you kids would go the distance; it would be a shame to throw away that love."

Before Chip could tell their captor to leave the kid alone, Shaw snapped first "do we really have to discuss some snot nosed brat's failure to realize he was sleeping with the enemy; I mean what is this, an episode of Jerry Springer?"

Alexi's dark gaze settled on the scientist, who began to feel the pressure of his constant attention; Shaw continued to scratch at his bandaged hand as his boss glared at him. When Shaw could no longer take the oppressing silence he broke eye contact, and proceeded to rub his hand along the edge of the table to relieve the incessant itch that had been nagging him ever since Itami had stabbed him.

The older man smiled at his assassin's handiwork. His glare turned into a smile as he growled at the man that had interrupted his conversation "we were having a perfectly nice meal doctor; there's no need to be rude. Young Tyler here has some very real marital problems; we should do our best to console him. You don't look well doctor; I'd hate to think that hand of yours has become infected. Maybe you should have someone look at it?"

As the days went on, Morton observed that Shaw was indeed not looking well; his skin was flushed and he was constantly scratching at his hand. When he did dare to speak in Alexi's presence, his words were becoming slurred and he was becoming unfocussed. He was even showing up for meals later and later.

Besides Shaw's deteriorating condition, Chip hadn't been required to help the doctor with the Base 21 project the entire time he had been on the island. Shaw seemed to want answers to the same question, as he entered the room and staggered over to their captor.

"You're late Shaw, lunch was scheduled for one, it's now two; it's impolite to keep our guests waiting" Alexi scolded.

Swaying where he stood, Shaw licked his dry lips "you could always get the blond wonder boy to help me again; if I have to do everything myself, I certainly can't keep to your timetable!"

Chip couldn't help but feel like he was caught between two parents fighting. The whole situation was getting ridiculous; clearly Shaw wasn't well, not that Morton had a lot of empathy for the man. Alexi was being uncharacteristically sickly sweet and Itami hadn't laid a finger on him since their arrival here; it was a whole new kind of torture.

Fortunately his and O'Brien's plan was taking shape. The random mumblings of guards had informed them that there was indeed a boat that could take them away from the island. Tyler's resourcefulness had acquired them a map of the area, and they had plotted out possible places to escape to; the boat was located in a cave that ran under the house. When the opportunity presented itself, the pair would have to make their way to the basement and start their journey.

Alexi's curt reply interrupted Chip's thoughts "you've proven how useless you are when it comes to watching the prisoner, Shaw; I don't think we want a repeat of earlier events. Besides, you only have one good hand now."

"How are you going to use this project if it never gets completed?"

Alexi carefully eyed up the man standing before him. His hair was damp and plastered to his forehead and his skin was a ghostly shade of white; Shaw's body trembled slightly and Alexi could tell that it was a great effort on his part to remain standing. "I don't care about your silly little project Shaw; I can sell it whole or I can sell it in pieces, it matters not. Anything that comes of it is just a bonus to me." Chip felt his skin begin to crawl as Alexi's leering eyes settled on him "I already have what I was after; you and your life's work has never been my main goal."

"Do you have any idea what this kind of technology . . ." The words died on his lips as Shaw doubled over in pain; as he crashed to the floor his unconscious body began to twitch and shake in the grips of a seizure.

Morton automatically started to stand up to offer help to the ailing man; he might not like him, but he wouldn't sink to the level of these animals and merely watch.

Their captor looked triumphantly down at the shuddering figure. "Uh-uh. Stay where you are Charles. You can't help him anyways."

Chip halted his actions as Goon 2 put his hand on his weapon. The seizure finally subsided and Morton could see there was no rise or fall to Shaw's chest. Alexi stretched his leg out and lifted the man's arm with his foot; the limb fell slackly to the floor "oh, I think he's dead" was the sarcastic statement.

Turning to Goon 2, Alexi snapped an order "take _that_ out of my sight." He caught the look on Morton's face and smiled "now, now, don't look so surprised Charles. I have many interests; weapons technology, espionage, artwork, biological weapons, tormenting your dear Captain. I'm really a well rounded individual."

At the mention of biological weapons, both 'guests' pushed their plates away; Alexi chuckled when he saw their reaction.

"Oh don't worry, Tyler, we're practically family; and Charles, if I was going to poison you I certainly wouldn't put it in your food." He rolled his eyes as he added "that's just so pedestrian."

Morton asked, "But why? Shaw was working for you."

"Shaw was an idiot and a means to an end; now that that end has come, he'd outlived his usefulness to me. Now I hate to leave in the middle of one of our treasured bonding moments, but I have business to attend to on the mainland; I trust you'll both behave yourselves while I'm gone. My men simply are not as good natured as I; and I'd hate to come back and find you both bleeding and broken."

There was never going to be a better opportunity than this; Alexi had left the compound _and_ had taken his little toy soldier with him. With the two biggest threats to their escape plan nowhere in the vicinity, Morton felt confident that they actually stood a good chance of escaping this prison. It wasn't the greatest plan, and in reality it was probably going to get them both killed; but staying wasn't an option - Lee was in danger.

To say things were slack when the boss was away would have been an understatement; Morton surmised that the hired help couldn't keep a potato under lock and key without Alexi's supervision. Under the cover of darkness the two _Seaview_ officers made their way from their room down the hall in search of a way to the basement. Three altercations lead to various cuts and bruises but they were nothing that would slow O'Brien and Morton down; after stealthily moving around the mansion for forty minutes the Lieutenant finally discovered their exit.

The pair made their way down the stairs and subdued the guard at the bottom. Chip's hunch about a boat had paid off; the simple little speedboat was the most glorious thing either had seen in a while. Morton pointed O'Brien in the direction of the supply locker, and the young man silently moved to see what kind of items they could use; Chip started loading extra fuel canisters onto the boat.

All they really knew was they were stuck on an island; the mainland could be days away across potentially rough ocean. That could prove to be the hardest and most dangerous part of the whole plan; being stuck in the middle of the ocean with no food, water or fuel for their boat was not how he planned to go out.

The thud and groan of pain caught the exec's attention. He turned to see O'Brien on the ground struggling with Goon 2 who had tackled him. Chip leaped over the side of the boat and back onto the dock to aid in his fellow crewman's struggle.

Goon 2 grabbed O'Brien by the shirt collar and proceeded to slam his head into the wooden boards below with a sickening thud. Despite his best efforts to try and over power the thug, Tyler was beginning to lose his battle to stay conscious.

Morton grabbed an oar that was leaning against the wall and brought it down hard on Goon 2's back. It took three good hits to the head before the man collapsed to the ground and did not get back up. Chip kicked him off of his friend and helped a very woozy lieutenant to his feet. "Are you ok?" he asked in concern.

O'Brien swallowed and tried to take a unsuccessful step forward; unable to find his feet, he hung onto Chip for dear life "the world won't stop revolving, sir; but I think I'll be fine."

Chip carefully placed his friend in the boat and went back to grab the supplies O'Brien had been aiming for. He had a good rummage through every cupboard and every cabinet along the wall, and filled three duffle bags with items that might be useful; among them were first aid supplies, bottled water, flares, rope and flashlights.

The risks with heading out into open seas without knowing exactly where they were going were high, but they had little choice. Chip offered up a silent prayer that they'd survive this intact and hopped into the boat. Inserting the key he found hanging on the wall, he started the engine; the motor roared to life and he shifted into reverse. After putting what he hoped was enough distance between them and the island, Chip shut the motor off and grabbed the flashlight - O'Brien's head needed to be look at right now if he was going to survive this, and so Morton used their meagre medical supplies to wrap the lieutenant's wound; it wasn't the greatest job, but Chip was sure that Jamie would've approved his efforts. He guessed that O'Brien probably had a concussion and would be sporting a headache for a while, but they were finally free of Alexi. Taking a deep breath, he only now allowed himself to relax a little as he restarted the engine and headed in what he hoped was the general direction of the mainland.

It took three days to find civilization and someone who could speak English; even so Chip remained cautious until they were transported to Hawaii and allowed to call the Institute. They had managed to find a small village that was friendly to Americans on the outskirts of the People's Republic waters. The locals used their radio to contact a small naval patrol boat that was nearby and secure transport for Chip and O'Brien to Hawaii. There was still a chance that these people worked for Alexi and this was another one of his elaborate games, but when Chip placed that call to NIMR and Ryan answered the phone, he swore he'd never heard a more beautiful voice in all his life.

Ryan had taken the call and after several attempts had managed to be convinced that it was indeed Morton on the line. The second most beautiful sight was when Sharkey arrived in FS1 to pick up the wayward officers. Relief flooded his entire body as Sharkey opened the hatch and offered Morton a ride home. Home; he was finally going _home_


	6. Chapter 6

"That's one hell of a tale buddy," sighed Crane. He knew it wouldn't have been a cakewalk for his XO, but he still wouldn't have guessed it would have been like that. He did have to admire the fact that through it all, Chip didn't give up.

"I've been trying to piece together who's behind all of this and why they decided to ruin our lives and I think I have a suspect," offered Morton.

"I think I've narrowed down the list too."

Simultaneously they both said, "Logan!"

"What tipped you off?" asked Lee.

"Well there was just something familiar about him, I couldn't put my finger on it right away; but it felt like I had seen Alexi before, but not? Then there was the grandness in which Alexi did everything and the places he had me kept. When I thought about it, it definitely reminded me of that self indulgent lunatic. Of course there were the paintings that were supposed to be real; and he didn't seem the slightest bit phased that Logan had tried to steal the Mona Lisa before. That story was kept under wraps; I wouldn't imagine he would have found out about it. You?"

"I could see the family resemblance in Kozlov, but it was his wife's last name that rang the bell: Logan. I mean we still don't know what Logan's real name is but the fact that Kozlov stressed how close they were with their mom, it would make sense that he would use that alias. Plus they would have international contacts which would explain his ability to have a confident buyer for _Seaview_ lined up and still believe that he would be given safe harbour. Not to mention that the kids are supposed to be very close and who else but your sibling is going to launch a full scale revenge plot for you."

"True, but the one thing that doesn't add up is why does Alexi blame you, and yet Michelle blames the Admiral. I mean the Admiral did have more to do with Logan than you; why wouldn't they both target the Admiral?"

"I guess we'll just have to ask Alexi when we catch him."

The pair paused and reflected on their recent hypothesis. The idea wasn't without answered questions, but it was the closest thing they had to a solution since the whole mess started. Even knowing who was behind it and their possible motive wasn't very reassuring while they sat there and watched their leader fight for his life.

Sitting there watching Lee fret over Nelson, gave Chip a small insight into the all the stress, guilt and worry that his friend must have been going through the past few months when they all thought he'd died. He found the situation hard enough, and he'd only been back at the Institute for a day; he couldn't imagine what it would be like if the scenario had been reversed. If he'd thought Lee was dead and then to have the Admiral gunned down . . . he took a deep breath. Lee was looking rough; the first thing he knew he would have to do was make sure his Captain actually got some sleep.

The XO had called his family the second he was near a phone upon arrival. It had to have been the most emotional call he'd ever made. It had taken him more than an hour to assure his mother that he was in fact alright and everything was going to be OK. It took another thirty minutes to convince the family to stay in Chicago for the time being and not rush out to NIMR. As much as he desperately wanted to see them, Morton decided it would be safer for them to stay away until Alexi and his goons were captured. He was even more certain it was the right decision when security informed him that Nelson had already sent several men to keep an eye on the Mortons due to the phone calls they'd been receiving during his capture.

It was a soft whisper, but in the deathly silent room it was a scream. "I'm sorry Chip. I don't know how to apologize for this whole mess; but I want you to know that I replay that day, the one where I thought you died, everyday. I've been trying to figure out where I went wrong, but I honestly don't know how I could have changed it."

"Maybe that's because there _is_ nothing you could have done differently. Alexi set you up to fail, Lee, and the more you dwell and feel guilty for something that wasn't your fault, then the longer he gets to believe he's winning. But Lee, you have to understand that _I_ don't blame you for anything."

"You could have died Chip!" The captain hissed "we all thought you were _dead_. You didn't have to see what your parents went through; you didn't have to _tell_ them!" Crane's voice was starting to rise at the end and Morton's was rising to match it.

"No, I just have to think about how I'm going to tell your family every time you go out on an ONI mission or take needless risks. Trust me Lee, I have more experience at that part than you do."

"Ya, but you've never _actually_ had to tell them; I've never turned up dead."

Chip waved his hand up and down the length of his body demonstrating that he was sitting there and in one piece "I'm right here buddy."

"And I just want to keep it that way."

"I'm just trying to understand the double standard here. It's perfectly acceptable for you to risk life and limb, not only on our missions but also for an intelligence agency that is more than happy to send you to your death, but it's not ok for me to die in the line of duty?"

"Yes! What's so hard to understand about that?"

"Only you two would argue about who has more of a right to get themselves killed in the line of duty! Here's an idea - how about _no one_ dies; how about you _both_ stop taking stupid risks and save what's left of my hair?" interrupted Jamie who had entered the room to see what the commotion was about.

Before either one could open their mouths to protest Will continued his lecture "now, you've both been here all day; you need to go home, eat something that resembles real food and get some actual sleep. If either one of you wants to protest, I have a nice sedative and a slightly comfortable bunk to offer you. I'll give you thirty seconds to make your decision; remaining here will mean you've chosen option B and all the consequences that go with it."

Both men exchanged silent looks and came to the same conclusion. "Alright," yielded Crane, "we'll go, but you can believe we'll be back first thing in the morning."

"I can't imagine you being anywhere else," said Jamie as be pushed them both out the door. "I don't know how you do it Harry," he whispered to the unconscious man in the bed.

Crane and Morton were walking through the parking lot towards the Captain's vehicle when Chip said, "I need a favour from you."

"Anything."

"Well three favours," the exec added.

"Name it."

"First, I need you to take me clothes shopping; Mackenzie has my vehicle and all my clothes are gone."

"Done," said Lee as they both climbed into the vehicle; it hadn't occurred to Crane that Chip didn't really have any of his stuff anymore. After his funeral, Lee had helped Mrs. Morton back up the exec's house and belongings and either donated them or stored them at a relative house.

"Second, you moved the furniture; you're going to help move it back. I hate moving!"

Lee had to agree "sounds fair."

"Third, I'm staying with you for awhile. My parents rented my place out and since they have to give the renter notice, I have no place to live for the next month; so guess what roomie . . . ?" An evil smile spread across the other man's face at the thought.

Crane rolled his eyes. Letting his friend crash at his place for awhile was the least he could do; the man did come back from the dead for him after all. What were a few weeks of being roommates?


	7. Chapter 7

It was good to be home; well, it was good to be back in Santa Barbara anyway. Chip wouldn't actually get to spend a night in his own bed in his own house for a few more weeks, but crashing in Lee's spare bedroom was a start. Hell, a hotel room would have been a homier alternative to the last few months as a prisoner.

Chip stretched out on the bed and laced his hands behind his head; he kicked his shoes off and let out a deep sigh. It was nice to have a moment alone; Lee had dropped him off while he went to grab some groceries, saying he hadn't gone shopping yet this week. Upon a brief inspection of the fridge Chip surmised that it was more likely that Crane hadn't been shopping in quite a few weeks.

His moment of peace and quiet was interrupted by the sharp ring of his newly replaced cell phone. In her usual on top of everything fashion, Ryan had a newly requisitioned cell phone programmed with Chip's old number, and all the information he stored in his old phone, waiting for him when he and Lee had left the Institute for the night. There were only a few people that knew the exec was alive, and fewer still that would be calling him now.

Crane had been somewhat reluctant to leave his friend alone, so Morton figured it was his Captain calling to check up on him. Answering his cell, he let out a slightly irritated "hello?"

"Good evening Charles."

The cold icy grip of fear grab Morton, and began to squeeze; the implication of _that_ voice sent chills down Chip's spine, but he managed to keep his voice arctic "what do you want, you lunatic?"

"An endless source of money, ocean front property and just for the hell of it, world peace – but how about I won't insult your intelligence; if you stop insulting mine?"

"Then how about you just cut to the chase? Tell me Alexi, how does Logan like prison?"

A moment of silence followed. The only thing Chip could hear was the pounding of his own heart; a thousand horrible scenarios ran through his head as he tried to think of a reason for this call. The greatest knot of worry told him that Lee was out there on his own at that moment.

"No one likes a-know-it-all, Charles. You're clearly smarter than your friends' give you credit for, but your intelligence is going to get you into trouble. I merely wanted to find out how your gallant Captain was holding up since Nelson was shot. He takes these things so personally you know" gushed Alexi.

"The last thing he needs is _you_ worrying about him" snapped Morton.

"Alright then, how about I worry about _you_; Shaw didn't die very nicely did he?"

"What's your point?" asked Chip without changing his angry tone.

"My point _Charles,_ is I have some very interesting friends that could do wonders for the term biological warfare; indeed the poison that killed Shaw is courtesy of them. It takes awhile for the first symptoms to show up; in fact, it can take a long time for the subject to die."

"Are you threatening Crane?"

"Threats to Crane's life just roll off him like water off a duck's back; I've found a much more effective means to breaking our hero."

"You're not going to win" Chip assured him decisively.

Alexi's evil laugh filled the phone "last time I checked, Nelson's hanging on by a thread and your time is running out my dear boy. When we last met, I told you I would let you go eventually. Having you dead here instead of where Crane can see you, defeats the purpose to our game. The same thing that killed Shaw is slowly killing you now. You received a dose of it in that cut across your cheek. Shaw received a slightly faster acting version of the poison; you have a few more days then he did. Not to mention the fact that I was spiking your food with trace amounts of the antidote; not enough to cure you, just enough to stop the poison from running its course. When you escaped, you stopped receiving the antidote so your clock effectively starts counting down now! There's nothing you or your friends can do; I have the only antidote. I am however, willing to give it to you Charles."

"Let's say I believe you; I can only imagine what I'd have to do to get it."

"Crane's head on a silver platter is at the top of my Christmas list. But I couldn't ask you to kill your best friend to save your life; that would be repetitive. No, I'll do it for you Charles. Tell Crane, the two of you, unarmed and alone, can meet me where I'll give you the antidote and you can leave."

"Then what? You take Lee prisoner and sic your dog on him? Oh wait, I heard she didn't make it."

"Just because you didn't appreciate Itami doesn't mean you have to be rude Charles. Taking him prisoner provides him with the opportunity to escape; no, I plan on putting a bullet in his head."

"You know I would never let him meet with you."

"Oh Charles; you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. If you tell Crane about the poison he'll come running to the meeting regardless of what you have to say; don't tell him and he gets to watch you die – slowly – horribly. I'm good with either outcome. Just let me know your decision Charles."

Chip paused for a moment; the weight of the world crushing him. Was Alexi telling the truth? It could all be a lie; part of some intricate plan to deceive them. The image of Shaw's death kept running through his mind. Did it really matter if it was true or not? He could never sell out his best friend, no matter what the circumstances.

Having made his decision Morton answered "go to hell."

A dial tone was Alexi's only reply. Chip hung up his phone and threw it across the room.

Upon hearing the smack of the phone against the wall, Lee poked his head through the door. Chip's head shot around and he quickly schooled his features, having been unaware of his friend's return.

"Are you ok?" asked a concerned Crane.

Morton looked at his friend and this time he it was a hard scrutinizing look. The toll the last few months had taken on his friend was obvious. The state of his home was another indicator; not to mention the few hints Jamie mentioned when advising Chip of the current situation. Add in the Admiral's current condition and it was amazing the Captain was still standing. Then there was that small gleam of hope that appeared when Lee started to believe that Chip was actually home and that things might work out after all. Who was Chip to take away that one ray of hope by telling his Captain what Alexi had threatened? After all there was a very good chance the maniac was just bluffing.

"Ya Lee, I'm fine; just a moment of frustration."

Crane bent down and picked up the wayward cell phone and turned it over in his hand to see if it had broke. It appeared to be fine and he handed it back to its owner.

"You need to be careful with that. We already have one crewmember that goes through those things like they're a dime a dozen. I don't think Ryan would appreciate having to replace both of our phones all the time" commented Crane with the most upbeat smile he could muster. "I grabbed us a pizza and some beer if you're hungry."

"I'll be down in a minute buddy, just going to go wash up and then I'll be right with you" Chip ensured his face was amiable and as easy-going as always.


	8. Chapter 8

The next day Lee drove both he and Chip to the Institute. They were getting out of his car when one of the security guards approached and asked to have a moment of the Captain's time.

"I'll meet you in Med-bay in about forty-minutes?" Crane asked.

Chip nodded his agreement and left Crane to his meeting with security. When he arrived in Med-bay Jamie was nowhere to be found; wanting to talk to the doctor privately before Lee showed up, he grabbed one of the corpsmen.

"How's the Admiral doing today Bailey?"

"There's no change, sir; he's not any better. But at least he's not any worse either, so there's still hope" offered the young corpsman in what he hoped was a positive tone.

"Is the doc in this morning?"

"Yes, he had a meeting to attend to. He's probably still in the main building right now, sir."

"If the Captain shows up before I get back, tell him I just had to go and check on something and I'll return shortly."

The Commander arrived at on the sixth floor and made his way to Nelson's office. If Jamieson was in a meeting then Ryan would know where. Hopefully Jamie could run some test to determine whether or not Alexi was lying, and they could do it all without adding additional worry to Lee. When he walked into the office he found the personal assistant busy on her computer. A gentle knock on the open door broke her concentration and her eyes lit up as she realized who gained her attention; she got up and gave the exec a huge hug.

"You had me worried there for a minute Chip's Ahoy" said Ryan, as she gave the exec a playful slug to the shoulder.

"Only for a minute?" he replied.

"Ya well, you know" she shrugged with a smile, before getting back to business. "What brings you here anyway; shouldn't you be taking some time off?"

"I was looking for Jamie."

Ryan glanced at the clock. "He's probably still on his conference call."

"He's doing medical conferences when the Admiral's in critical condition?"

"It's not a conference meeting; it's an update meeting for Admiral Starke."

"Admiral Starke?" questioned Morton.

"Ya, he insists on daily updates on the Admiral, NIMR and _Seaview._"

"What does he need updates for? I thought if the Admiral was unable to run the Institute then Lee was in charge."

Ryan paused for a moment to figure out how she was going to phrase her thoughts. "He is, but . . ."

"But?"

"_But,_ Captain Crane tends to not focus on the business side of things." She sighed and added "after the captain missed several important meetings, Admiral Starke offered to step up and head things off on that front."

"Isn't getting help from Starke kind of like getting in bed with the enemy? And does it really matter if a few research meetings are missed? We do employ competent people after all, I'm sure they can direct themselves for a few weeks."

Ryan chucked at Morton's statement "I know you Navy boys think the sun rises and falls on _Seaview_, but there's more to the Nelson Empire than that sub. The Admiral doesn't pay for _all _of this out of his own pocket. NIMR Innovations division actually has share holders, whom we do have to answer to; we have benefactors and they don't just let anyone carry nuclear warheads. There are government checks, inspections and paperwork to be dealt with as well."

Warming to her theme, and her temper rising a little, she continued "oh and let's not forget that there's a little bit of ass kissing that takes place here and there to make all of this work too. So ya, getting Starke to help fend off the political and government wolves may be like sleeping with the enemy, but someone had to do it. Angie is trying to appease the benefactors and shareholders and I'm trying to send out every report everyone asks for; 'cause let me tell you, I'm not explaining it to the Admiral that we lost everything when he gets back."

Morton raised his hands in surrender "ok, got it. Things are falling apart everywhere without the Admiral."

A little calmer, Ryan nodded "ya well, you boys just run that sub and we'll take care of the office."

Chip had to admit that the stack of paperwork piled on Ryan's desk was easily five times its normal volume; and based on what he'd heard and observed about Crane's condition, he knew his friend would be avoiding the dreaded office work without realizing the consequences to such an oversight at this time.

"In light of recent events everyone is looking for us to mess up, to make a mistake they can exploit to push their own agenda. The fact that the Admiral isn't at the helm makes people nervous; so if you could make sure everything sparkles at your end, I know we'd appreciate it. Speaking of paperwork; could you look in on your temporary replacement and grab the latest maintenance report and weapons tests? If you do that, then I promise I'll keep Jamie here until you get back."

"I think I could manage that" Chip turned and headed towards the door.

Ryan shouted after him "it would be really helpful if you could read it over and make sure it's perfect too; not that I doubt his ability, but it would save me some time from having to check it myself!"

Chip took the very familiar steps down the hall to his office; correction what _was_ his office. In his absence a new executive officer had been brought in to fill his post. It wasn't often that one got to meet their replacement under these circumstances. Alexi had shown him the man's personnel file, so Morton knew he was qualified; but what would he be like? What made him special enough to join Nelson's crew?

It was quite a strange experience to have to knock on his own office door and wait to be allowed entrance. Hearing his summonse he opened the door and walked in.

"Just leave it on my desk" said the young man without looking up from his paperwork.

Chip surveyed the desk before him. _Where on the desk? _He thought_. _This was defiantly not how he left his office; the messy stacks of paper littering every flat surface almost caused him to start hyperventilating.

The lack of movement caused Davenport to raise his head. If he was startled at the appearance of _Seaview's_ previous exec, he didn't show it. "I wasn't expecting you Commander Morton. What can I do for you; besides vacate your office?"

"At the moment I'll settle for the maintenance and weapons test reports. Did you need a minute to find them?"

Lyndon caught the scrutinizing glance of the chaos he called his 'filing system'. "I know exactly where they are. The Maintenance report is the fifth file from the top of the pile that's third from the right on the filing cabinet and the Weapons Test Results are the twelfth paper down on the bookshelf." Morton cocked his eyebrow disbelieving he would find what he was looking for in the exact location he was told.

"Not all of us organize our paper clips you know. Some people can function better in chaos than structure. Ryan will probably also want my Mission report which should be the second file on your left" commented Lyndon.

Much to his surprise, Chip found all the documents he was looking for exactly where they were supposed to be.

"I can have my stuff packed and be out of your office by tomorrow afternoon. Unfortunately I won't be able to get out of your hair until Crane sends in an official request to transfer me back and reinstate you; and we all know the speed in which paperwork moves."

Morton nodded his understanding. He flipped through the mission report, causally skimming its contents and notes. Chip came to a decision; he wasn't sure Lee was going to like it but it would be best for all.

"Why would you want to transfer out of here so soon?"

Lyndon was taken by surprise by the question. "What? I figured you'd probably want your job back. Based on everything I've heard about you, you're an organized control freak who lives for his job; I guess I just figured you'd want to get back to it as soon as possible. I know your buddy Crane is probably organizing a 'he's finally gone' party as we speak."

Chip smiled. Lee had indicated a less than appreciative attitude towards Davenport's service when they had talked last night. The ever resourceful Jamieson had managed to obtain Nelson's personal mission report and covertly send it to Morton, in hopes of informing the prior exec of the interpersonal interactions of his Captain with the current exec.

"Well maybe you should stick around for a little while and take some of the work load off of me. It wouldn't hurt to ease back into things for a little while; and you said yourself that transfer could take awhile. Consider it earning your keep."

Lyndon eyed Morton up suspiciously. He knew the other man's type, and there was no way someone like Chip was just going to let another person take his position; he was sure there was definitely more going on.

"And you can keep the office for now" Morton was saying, pulling Davenport back from his musings. "You clearly have your...filing system established; it would be easier for me to just grab an office down the hall" Chip finished.

"Sure; I'll stick around for now."

Morton grabbed the files he came for and left Lyndon to go back to his paperwork; but instead Davenport paused for a moment, thinking about the strange interaction he'd just had "_t__hings use to be so simple; what is it with these people? _he thought, before finally shaking his head and returning to his work.

"You wanted to see me Commander?" asked Will as he ran into Morton in the hallway.

"Yes Doc, can we speak privately somewhere?"

Jamie nodded and led the exec to his office in Med-bay. Crane had yet to make an appearance and after checking on the Admiral's unchanged status, Will devoted his attention to the XO.

"What can I do for you?" asked the doctor as he took stock of the man before him.

_Here goes nothing._ Morton took a deep breath. "We may have a problem; well_, I_ might have a problem."

"Oh?"

"I received a phone call last night from Alexi and he told me I've been poisoned."

Jamie sat down heavily on his seat as Chip went over every detail about what Alexi had told him about the poison, and the symptoms he had noticed Shaw displaying before he died. Of all the different scenarios he had thought could happen to them now, he had not even considered this revelation from Chip.

"But here's the thing doc, you have to promise me you won't say anything to Lee."

"I can't promise that Commander. . ."

Morton cut him off "what about doctor patient confidentiality?"

"Doesn't count if it affects your work performance; which if this is true, it will. Not only will it affect you, but it will put the whole crew in danger if something happens and you're in command," argued Jamie.

"If something happens'; you mean if I die. But we don't know for sure it's even true yet, so there's no need to worry the Captain over something that might not even happen."

"Commander!" Jamie stopped and took a second, then continued more calmly " Chip, he needs to know, and if it is true . . ."

"Look, I've asked Davenport to stay on; he'll be making the decisions, so even if I am affected it won't endanger the crew. I wouldn't let that happen; you should know that by now. Until we know for sure, there's no point in telling anyone."

"And if it is true?"

"You'll just have to come up with an antidote, and in the remote possibility that you can't; _then_ we can tell the Captain. Please Jamie..." Chip begged.

The doctor let out an exasperated sigh; Morton wasn't wrong about adding to Crane's stress levels "alright, I'll do the test in private; but after that I'm not promising anything."

Chip offered heartfelt thanks as Jamie went and grabbed a needle to take a blood sample. After he drew the blood he had it rushed to the lab for a whole battery of tests; there was nothing left to do after that but wait.

Morton resumed his vigil with Crane at Nelson's side, whilst Jamie went about trying to pretend he wasn't keeping possible life changing news from his Commanding officer. The day wore on in the same monotonous way, but as it was drawing to a close the most miraculous things happened: Nelson started to wake up.

The soft moans from the man in the bed grabbed the attention of both Lee and Chip who had been permanent fixtures at his side all day. Slowly Nelson opened his eyes and tried to focus on the two blurry figures that were leaning over him. He went to lick his dry lips, but found that something was in the way. His sluggish brain eventually focused on the voice that was speaking to him, and heard Jamieson mention something about a breathing tube. The Admiral felt his eyelids growing heavy and he quickly lacked the energy to keep them open any longer.

It was a brief sign of life from their commander but it did mean that things were moving in a positive direction; a wave of relief washed over Lee. The small seed of hope was starting to take root and sprout. With any luck, very soon the Admiral would be back on his feet, Alexi would be in jail and they could all put this horrific chapter of their lives behind them.

"Mr. Morton, can I have a word with you?" requested Jamieson.

While Chip was standing up, Lee asked, "Is something wrong Jamie?" If the doctor had anything to say he usually said it in front of both of them.

The doctor used his best poker face "no, I just have some questions for Chip; things I want to note in his file from his time away from us. Nothing important; I just didn't want to disturb the Admiral with conversation noise."

Chip nodded in concurrence and followed Will into his office. He took a seat across from the doctor and waited for the news.

Jamie looked up with sorrow in his eye. "they couldn't find any known substance, but they did find an anomaly. Upon further research, one of the technicians found it resembled a theoretical blueprint for a virus proposed by an enemy agent; that was the only information they could find. I'm sorry Commander, but it looks like Alexi's threat is real."

A million thoughts ran through Chip's head, but at the same time he forgot how to breathe. All he could do was sit there and stare; no part of his body would respond to any command given by his brain. After a few moments cold dread finally released its vice like hold on him and Morton found his voice "you can't tell Lee, Doc."

"Chip."

Morton pleaded "please Jamie!"

"He has to be told."

"Alright, but I'll tell him; just not today, Jamie. Not when he finally has some good news for a change."

Maybe it was empathy for the young man before him or just the fact that he couldn't tell a dying man no, but Jamieson relented. "OK, I'll leave it up to you to tell him, but you must tell him. If you don't, I will Commander; in the mean time I'll do everything I can to try and fix this."

"I know you will Jamie, and thanks."

Chip left to join Lee at the Admiral's side. In a moment of frustration Will shoved all of the books off of his desk and onto the floor. _Ah Harry, we need you more than ever now; your boys need you. I need you to help me figure this out._

The end.

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(Story 4of 5)

Thank-you for reading this story.

Thank-you very much to everyone who reviewed this story particularly my review crew that reviews every chapter, it means a lot.

Thank-you to Tracy137 for another terrific beta job!


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